Wednesday night was a very special night for F-1 in the sense that we had two extraordinary guest speakers talking about fitness, health, and what lies in-between. We started out discussing three major factors in men’s health and men’s awareness of certain health needs. Examples being cholesterol, heart health, and testosterone health and from there we landed one bombshell of a delivery from two very incredible people.

We talked about how there can be a direct link between low testosterone level and depression in men. How, in recent studies, men have been supplemented with testosterone rather than anti-depressants and had great results. Rather than the multiple side-effects that anti-depressants can cause, some of which making the conditions of depression even worse.

According to the Mayo Clinic, testosterone health promotes protein synthesis, bone density, sexual appetite, fat distribution, and healthy sleep cycles. Who wouldn’t want more of that? We also talked about ways to naturally boost your body’s own ability to produce testosterone. Supplements like tribulus, horny goat weed, and L-Arginine are important in the production of natural testosterone and healthy sexual appetite.

All very important information and I encourage you to do some homework in that area of your own personal health. In our attraction series we mentioned how women will look at how a man takes care of himself and if she sees that he isn’t, will often ask herself, “If he doesn’t care to maintenance himself, how much less will he care about anyone else?” With that said, I want to introduce you to two awesome people that spoke Wed evening!

Meet professional training, mad scientist and natural body building competitor, Jared Holt and his partner, who is also a natural body building competitor in the NPC, a rep for Nutrishop Pasadena, supplement guru,(Ask her anything on supplements I dare you!) fangirl, (Way into Wonder Woman.) and all around kickass woman, Sara Ghalayini. Both are supporters of the growing F-1 army, and good friends. They understand why commitment and consistency are vital, not only in the health and body building field, but in life as well.

Talking with the dynamic duo, Jared confessed that growing up he, “was not exposed to the body building world. Being raised in Buffalo, Missouri there were not a lot of body building gyms around at that time.” Growing up and being called a bean pole, he stuck to a few sports he knew and was offered. However, he leaned towards the comic-book genre and loved the muscular physique of many of his heroes.

After some time he was exposed to Pro-Wrestling, and then later a muscle magazine that shown that people with super hero physiques was a possibility. This dream of becoming a body builder he kept to himself until he moved to So-Cal and began the process of reinvention. However, despite his comic book heroes and body building gods, he made a decision to be as natural as possible so that he could be as healthy as possible.

Growing up with this dream and very little outer support, he had to make a choice to filter through what does and does not work. This is why F-1 refers to him as our Mad Scientist Trainer, because he has studied and ultra-studied, nearly every technique, diet, and workout regime in the book. His arsenal is so vast that form fitting a feasible workout plan for a client is easy. “I try and see what works first, so they don’t have to. I tell them, ‘let me fail first so I can better suite you.’”

Wed night he and Sara both gave some awesome quick tips to help people get started realistically.

Don’t buy into all hype, diets, media, etc. Give yourself a realistic conversation of what you want.

Consistency over perfection. Everyone wants perfection, but few stick with consistency which in the long run makes the largest impact.

There are no miracle pills, supplements, etc. Supplements only help to whatever level you’re working out with. They’re there to help, not do the work.

If you CAN get a trainer, do it. Do some homework; find one that works for you that pays attention to your personal goals and needs. All pro’s have coaches and trainers. They know the importance of it. All jobs have trainers. This is no different.

You can start small by using your GPS to mark out a mile and use that to walk, run, jog, sprint, or skip through.

Get out of the house. Too many distractions there.

And we can’t go any further without giving you a woman’s perspective in the field of health and body building. Meet Sara, who, not only have I worked with, but I have watched meet personal goal, after personal goal. She is a lion when it comes to what she wants and doesn’t cut corners getting it. I worked with her in another nutrition center and she not only was well educated in supplements, but an expert. Not only in what each product does, but when to use such products as well. And not only on a general level, but how each gender has different supplemental needs.

Sara at the Nutrishop

We asked her how she got started and here is what she had to say! “I saw a women’s magazine and this lady just had a really muscular fit body and I thought that was just beautiful. Growing up Wonder Woman has been a hero of mine but seeing that lady on the magazine I realized women can work just as hard, if not harder than men. I struggled with confidence and weight growing up and I used fitness to gain confidence and feel good and sexy about myself. Which is most important. It’s not that I’m ‘strong for a girl,’ I’m just strong….period.”

In advice to the guys, “You have to be almost stronger mentally than physically to compete. Because it literally becomes a religious routine and repetition. But like Jared said, it is about consistency.” Sara is now a rep for Nutrishop and sets up meal plans for beginners on a regular basis. “It’s as simple as just taking the first step.” She would also suggest starting with a simple supplement plan of protein, BCAA’s, and a multi-vitamin. All three help in recovery and are essential for goals.

Both of them were able to demonstrate their wealth of knowledge to us and had samples on hand to taste the product so to speak. At the end they gave some last bits of information before everyone there received a free shirt, samples, and were able to personally ask them health related questions.

Create your own story. Be an inspiration to others with your story and your health journey.

Get healthy for you, not for the girls. In the end, you are the one that pays for it and works for it.

Know that getting healthy also helps in the bedroom. In every way. (Some serious incentive there.)

Get on a simple program and stick to it. No one sees massive results right away, and the products claiming that often just want your money.

Consistency, consistency, consistency.

Sara-G, Adam from S.I.U. and Pam from S.I.U.

F-1 Army

F-1 is honored to have had them for guests. If you are in the Pasadena, or L.A. area, head down to the Nutrishop and ask for Sara G, she’ll help you set yourself up. Tell her F-1 sent you. If you’re looking for a trainer, Mad Scientist Jared will be more than happy to put you to work. In the mean-time, stay healthy friends.